Built to Play
113 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingHow we build video games are reflection of how we view the world. So Dan and Arman dive into why games get made, and the backstories of the people who make them, and the people who play them.
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Episodes
The Cloning Engine
August 23, 2019 15:29 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MB** In June 2018, Ben Esposito was on his way to a game conference when he received a email that said his game had been stolen. ** The idea he had been working on for six years was already for sale, by someone else. It might have been inevitable. We examine what happens when a bigger company sees an opportunity in your personal small game. We talk to creator of Donut County, Ben Esposito, the chief operating officer of Noodlecake Studios, Ryan Holowaty and many others about how a F...
Spider-Crossover
July 26, 2019 18:48 - 54 minutes - 50.4 MBIt's summer crossover time! Here's a special episode with CJRU 1280 AM's comic book show Radio Free Krypton! Justin Chandler joins us as Arman and Daniel about what makes a great Spider-Man story. How do you make an authentic Spider-Man New York? Just how important is that Parker luck? This episode was made possible thanks to donors to CJRU 1280 AM. Donate to our illustrious home base. Thanks to the Free Music Archive for the following songs: "BMX Hero" by Pierlo, "Shun-in" by P...
The Future (2019)
July 18, 2019 23:26 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBE3 this year gave us a window into gaming's future. What's beyond it? Phoenix Simms joins us for a conversation about game streaming, political discourse and the raddest video games at this year's E3. You can find more of her work here: https://twitter.com/phoenixsimms Music on this weeks episode were from Broke for Free, "Heart Ache" and "Warm Up Suit." We found them on the Free Music Archive. We're produced out of CJRU 1280 AM in downtown Toronto and made by Arman Aghbali and ...
Why E3 is a Mess
June 07, 2019 10:41 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBGaming's annual grand exhibition, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is only a few more days away. But why does it look like a shadow of its former self? Brian Crecente at Variety Gaming gives us a window into the organization behind the trade expo. His story at Variety: Inside the Disarray Facing the Video Game Organization Behind E3 Thanks to the Free Music Archive for the following songs: : "Air Hockey Saloon" by Chris Zabriske, "Southside" by Lee Rosevere, and "Kopeika" b...
VGBR 2: Kingdom Hearts Edition
April 22, 2019 17:28 - 51 minutes - 71.2 MBWe're ranking every video game ever made, and we're clearing out as much of Kingdom Hearts as we can: The Uncle who Works for Nintendo - 2014 - Michael Lutz (Matt Ishii) World of Warcraft - 2004 - Blizzard (Holly Babaran) Bastion - 2011 - Supergiant (Lyle Scott) Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety - Software Creations - 1995 (Jon Ore) Bayonetta - 2009 - Platinum Games (Ibrahim Faruqui) Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - 2004 - Jupiter (Vivian Ng) Super Metroid Shadow the H...
Nostalgic Hearts
March 21, 2019 18:00 - 39 minutes - 54.2 MBWe've been fascinated by Kingdom Hearts since childhood. But is a series worth going back to? We investigate the value of a long derided series by talking to fans who grew up with the series, and adults who are trying to make sense of it today. Special thanks to Reid McCarter and Astrid Rose of Bullet Points' Blood of Friendship πx: Re: Podcast. Thanks to the Free Music Archive for the following songs: "Lake Eerie Wolves" by Fields of Ohio, "Focus" by A. A Aalto. Thanks to OCRem...
2018 Yamauchi Awards
January 31, 2019 18:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBWe continued to be haunted by a gamified spirit, as we recount the best and worst games of 2018. Worst Game We Didn't Play Red Dead Redemption 2 The Quiet Man Fallout 76 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey Best Game to Play Between the End of High School and Start of University Battletech Monster Hunter World Hitman 2 Dragon Quest XI Valkyria Chronicles 4 Best Game But From the Year 1993 Myst Magic the Gathering Doom Star Trek the Next Generation Interactive VCR Board Game Vi...
Video Game Battle Royale I
November 23, 2018 13:46 - 1 hour - 65 MBWe have a new terrible idea: Rank every video game ever made. We like video games. We like them a lot. So now, we decided to rank them all from best to worst. We're starting with 8, and we'll soon have them all. Tune in as Dan and Arman discuss the following games (submitted by the following people): The Uncle who Works for Nintendo - 2014 - Michael Lutz (Matt Ishii) World of Warcraft - 2004 - Blizzard (Holly Babaran) Bastion - 2011 - Supergiant (Lyle Scott) Venom/Spider-Man: ...
A Legacy of Harm
October 25, 2018 19:00 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBSo everything is broken: What do we do to fix the world we love? Dr. Kishonna Gray tells us how to identify the legacy of issue facing the gaming industry, and how the gaming community can give us a small window into the future of society. Emma Vossen comes back to teach us a little more about gaming's leaky pipeline.
Crisis of Toxic Nerds - Comics
September 28, 2018 02:22 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBAnd heeeeere's part 2 of "Crisis of Toxic Nerds," a multi-part documentary investigating where the toxicity in geek culture comes from, and what we can do about it. In this part, Radio Free Krypton hosts Justin and Jacob try to make sense of an old beast with a new face: Comicsgate. They speak to comics writer and editor Stephanie Cooke, rapper More or Les, professor Benjamin Woo and writer and PhD candidate Safiyya Hosein about how toxicity develops and the importance of diverse r...
Crisis of Toxic Nerds - Gamers
September 27, 2018 19:01 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBIn partnership with Radio Free Krypton we're doing two (three) episodes on toxicity in nerdom. Our episode focuses on toxic masculinity in gaming specifically. We talk to talk to Laine "Superphrenic" Yuhas about Dota 2, sexism and her organisation, Desoladies. Later, researcher Emma Vossen, an expert on gaming and gender, gives us a run down on what it means to be a gamer, and why that sucks for everyone. PLUS: It's CJRU 1280 AM Fund Drive time! Together with Radio Free Krypton, w...
E3 2018: We Nailed It?
June 21, 2018 18:00 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBPhoenix Sims of Third Person Space joins us to talk about spec work, women in games, and politics. Plus, everything we actually liked from this year's show. Here's the games we might recommend you check out following this year's E3: Bravery Network* Cyberpunk 2077 Ghosts of Tsushima Beyond Good and Evil 2 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Wolfenstein: The Young Blood Tunic* *Both of these are Canadian productions! Part of Beyond Good and Evil 2 will likely be made in Canada, but ...
Bad Dreams
June 07, 2018 18:00 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBBy suing two media organizations, Quantic Dream has done something unprecedented. When it comes to their work environment though, it's distressingly average -- with sexual misconduct, shady contracts, and a disregard for the rules. We talk to journalists and a critic who have dove deep into what makes Detroit Become Human tick. Mediapart Canard PC Le Monde Mashable's Detroit Become Human review Thanks to the Free Music Archive for "silent eyes," "building stories," " and "unexp...
Kingdoms Gone
April 23, 2018 18:00 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBThis episode contains the following segments: Our understanding of history can change how we depict it, and who gets to play the hero. We look at Kingdom Come: Deliverance as a case study. We talk to David Perry and Reid McCarter. Here's Reid's original article in Unwinnable, and Geraldine Heng's book on race in medieval Europe. Daniel Rosen gives us a look into Yakuza 6, the new adventure of the affable criminal Kazuma Kiryu, and why he's loved exploring its version of Japan. T...
Yamauchi Awards 2017
December 31, 2017 23:40 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBA ghost returns and we look at the most important games of the year
Built in Review 2017: Make Bread, Pay Rent
December 31, 2017 23:11 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBWe look back on a great year for video games in what happened to be a terrible year overall. Janine Hawkins, David Wolinsky, Yifat Shaik, Taylor Bai-Woo, Gabriel Zoltan-Johan, and Jonathan Ore join us for a conversation about what it means to make money in video games today.
Perfect Lists w/Matthew Gault
December 22, 2017 00:54 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MBMatthew Gault tells us about a time in his life where Fallout 3 became his second job. And we look at a very very long list.
Messy Spooks w/ Sophia Park
October 27, 2017 13:47 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBWe talk about what to call imperfection and we play some co-operative storytelling karaoke.
Orange Sky
October 13, 2017 03:14 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBWe look back at one of the most influential anthology of games - how its creating new ways to make money.
The Skin You Work In
September 29, 2017 04:09 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBGames writer Walt Williams likes to crunch, but the rest of the industry may not have a choice.
A Profound Waste of Time
April 13, 2017 22:12 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBWe look at a Profound Waste of Time, a U.K. gaming magazine,
BITS - We Played the Switch w/ Jonathan Ore
February 09, 2017 18:49 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBJonathan Ore from the CBC joins us again to talk about Nintendo news and the future of the industry
Yamauchi Awards 2016
December 30, 2016 01:16 - 54 minutes - 50 MBBuilt to Play gives our year end awards to the best games we did and did not play
Built in Review 2016: Grow Up
December 22, 2016 18:00 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBBuilt to Play brings together the Hand Eye Society, Gabby DaRienzo, David Wolinsky, Ried McCarter and Nadia Oxford to talk 2016
BITS - No Man's Switch
November 11, 2016 05:01 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBWe talk about the ongoing contraversy around No Man's Sky and the Nintendo Switch
Worth the Ride w/ImTheBlueRanger, LuluSoccer, Nilo Studios
November 03, 2016 17:00 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBGeorge starts a game he hadn't heard of, and then falls down the rabbit hole.
Built to Play: LIVE - Perfection
October 20, 2016 18:34 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MBIn support of CJRU's fund drive, we did a live episode of Built to Play! Subscribe (iTunes)Subscribe (Stitcher) We talk to Patrick O'Rourke about Playstation VR. Zach Gage tells us why he's afraid of chess. Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns from Metanet Software describe their pursuit for perfection. Daniel Rosen scoured the web for some of the biggest disasters in dubbing. To donate visit CJRU.ca THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "Erotic Robotics," "Intergalactic Lounge Music" ...
Built to Play Live?
October 17, 2016 02:51 - 1 minute - 1.53 MBJoin us live on Oct 17 for our very first live version of Built to Play. We'll be starting at 1 p.m. ET on CJRU.ca or if you live in Toronto, 1280 AM.
Bits - Phoenix Wright, Right?
October 13, 2016 17:00 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBWe recap the Phoenix Wright series so far
The Boxer w/ Hungrybox + Crunch + Armada
October 06, 2016 15:28 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBIn 2015, a top Super Smash Bros Melee player was ready to give up his character to preserve his legacy. Instead he did something weirder
Bits - Gwent, Death Stranding and Change at E3 2016
June 23, 2016 04:42 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBWe talk about the Electronic Entertainment Expo floor and card games Subscribe (iTunes)Subscribe (Stitcher) Preston Dozsa joins us after his week long trip to Los Angeles to play Gwent for 10 hours, and also see the E3 floor. For some of our E3 Press Conference jostling, follow us on Twitter. THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "Neon Skies" BY LEE ROSEVERE. BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF CJRU IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND DANIEL ROSEN....
Greg Stolze Full Interview
June 16, 2016 23:35 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBWe're busy with E3, so here's our full interview with Greg Stolze on Unknown Armies and its history. BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF CJRU IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND DANIEL ROSEN. IF YOU LIKE THE SHOW PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US ONLINE. IT HELPS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE SHOW AND GIVES US AN IDEA HOW WE'RE DOING. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT DOWN BELOW.
Bits - No Man in Any Sky
June 09, 2016 17:51 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBDaniel and Arman talk about why harassment and death threats are never the answer, the nature of game delays and why you should always listen to your Uncle Jackie.
Boys Over Swords w/Nina Freeman
June 08, 2016 22:32 - 18 minutes - 17 MBWe talk to Nina Freeman about growing up online, her game Cibele, and digital ephemera. Plus, we hear about a woman's experience in high school playing World of Warcraft.
Blood will have Blood w/ Greg Stolze
May 24, 2016 22:34 - 17 minutes - 16 MBGreg Stolze tells us about why Unknown Armies isn't afraid to make you weaker as you get stronger
Bits - End of the Wii U
May 17, 2016 17:55 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBWe brought Jonathan Ore from the CBC to discuss the coming end of the Wii U
Built to Play 71: Master of their Domain
May 03, 2016 14:30 - 58 minutes - 54.1 MBRobert Gagno, a pinball master, and escape room puzzle designers reveal what makes them tick
Built to Play 70: Handmade
April 05, 2016 03:22 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBWe talk handcrafted games, program detectives and memories
Bit to Play 21/03/16
March 21, 2016 03:04 - 11 minutes - 11 MBWe talk about Leland Yee, and Rami Ismail talks airports
Built to Play 69: Legitimacy
March 14, 2016 06:50 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBA system with a design flaw, an industry that may be on drugs and a localization that took out some surprising creep
Built to Play 68: Map to the Future
February 17, 2016 02:10 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBWe talk about Mini Metro, the future of virtual reality and narrative experiences for your eyeballs
Built to Play Awards 2015: The Curse Continues
February 04, 2016 03:35 - 58 minutes - 54 MBThe curse continues with the ghost of Yamaguchi
Built in Review 2: New Friends
January 01, 2016 15:00 - 1 hour - 68.8 MBWe talk about 30 years of Mario, an award ceremony, game literacy, and Fate Tectonics
Built in Review 1: Old Stories
December 31, 2015 15:00 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBBuilt to Play chats with Patrick O'Rouke and David Wolinsky about VR, the word Indie and the best games of 2015
Built to Play 67: Around the World
December 03, 2015 00:59 - 58 minutes - 53.4 MBBuilt to Play looks at moving from one place to another and fail at Mario Maker
Built to Play 66: Bad Luck
October 20, 2015 21:26 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBWe explore a man's love affair with Galaga, a post-apocalyptic Kingdom Hearts future, and Monopolists discuss one of the most popular board games of all time.
Built to Play 65c/d: Sold Out
September 21, 2015 05:34 - 56 minutes - 52 MBWe visit a Malaysian theme park and discuss Internet Ethics Subscribe (iTunes)Subscribe (Stitcher) In this week's episode there are the following segments: Daniel and Arman discuss Ubiland Malaysia. We return to the ancient TWIX-ON. Then we find our way to define ethics on the internet and Machinima's two-year-old advertising crisis. (0:00) Colby Dauch tells us about building board games, and what building a board around the world of popular game BioShock Infinite meant for his ...
Bit of Play: Full of Play
September 09, 2015 00:23 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBSubscribe (iTunes)Subscribe (Stitcher) It's our preview for this coming season of Built to Play, all about the feeling an intent behind play. We have a great line up coming, but first we thought we'd sharea little primer with you all about what it means to play. THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "La Montage" and "Until Dawn" by Rockit Maxx. BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF THE SCOPE AT RYERSON RADIO STATION IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED, EDITED AND WRITTEN BY ...
Built to Play 65b: Sales Burn
August 25, 2015 04:15 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBWe analyse worker's rights, being reassigned as a janitor, Amazon, kickstarter, and the world of Kingdom Hearts 3. Plus we replay an old interview in full. David Craddock tells us about the origins of Diablo.
Built to Play 65a: Death of a Salesman
August 18, 2015 02:29 - 1 hour - 71.2 MBWe do a belated farewell to Nintendo's long passed president and catch up with some WiiU and 3DS games